Anutin Charnvirakul, a politician known as the Cannabis King, has been selected by a majority of politicians to become the new Prime Minister of Thailand. Charnvirakul becomes the third PM in the past three years, and he does so only a week after the preceding PM, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was dismissed following an ethics violation.
The 58-year-old politician’s appointment is significant for the newly minted Thai cannabis industry, as regulations introduced by a previous, more conservative administration led by the then-PM Srettha Thavisin continue to affect business owners, consumers, and tourists alike.
In 2022, Thailand shocked the world by becoming the first country in Asia to legalise the use, sale, and cultivation of cannabis. Still, less than 12 months later, a new administration started making preparations to change the law, which came into force in June 2025.
Opponents of cannabis in Thailand highlighted the large number of weed clubs and shops that they say were operating irresponsibly. The new regulations, introduced to tackle the problem, effectively destroyed the recreational market by forcing consumers to sign up for a medical prescription from a doctor to purchase products.
Anutin Charnvirakul was an integral player in the movement to bring change to Thailand’s cannabis laws in 2022. He received the moniker ‘Cannabis King’ due to his vocal support for making the plant legal, a move that he said would help with prison overcrowding, boost the agricultural industry in Thailand’s rural areas, and increase tourism.
In 2022, Anutin staged a publicity stunt designed to attract attention to his goal of changing the law, in which he proposed to give away a million free cannabis plants. In the 2023 election, he sported a cannabis leaf design shirt when casting his vote. In a previous role as Health Minister, Anutin championed the health benefits of cannabis.
It is yet to be seen if Prime Minister Charnvirakul will reverse the new cannabis regulations or continue on the path chosen by the previous administration. A source close to leafie, who lives in Bangkok, doesn’t think the new PM will change too much. They claim the PM is a money man who stands with big business, and that the changes made were done so to price smaller cannabis businesses out of the market, leaving larger cannabis businesses to take over.
